284 Western Live-stock Management 



her to work up until the time she drops her foal. Under 

 these circumstances, she will usually be in good, strong, 

 healthy condition and her digestive system will be in 

 order. If she is laid off in new surroundings and the 

 feeding greatly changed, her system is liable to be upset 

 and leave her in worse condition than the regular work. 

 Parturition is a severe strain, and in order to bring forth 

 a vigorous, strong foal, the mare must be in good condition. 

 Some mares come in heat after missing three or four 

 regular periods. Such cases are often due to abortion. 

 Mares of this kind should be carefully watched, and 

 examined to see that their sexual organs are in good condi- 

 tion. A few mares will come in heat regularly and accept 

 the horse, and still be in foal from the first service. Ir- 

 regular conditions of this kind require that the mare 

 owners be exceedingly careful, watch the mares closely, 

 and use their best judgment in regard to them. 



Signs of pregnancy. 



The first sign of pregnancy, and the one which is used 

 in breeding mares, is the absence of the usual heat period. 

 When a mare becomes pregnant, the usual periods of 

 heat do not appear, and the mouth of the womb becomes 

 closed. As the pregnancy advances, the mare usually 

 becomes quieter, has a tendency to take on fat, is cross 

 toward other horses, has somewhat fuller flanks, and there 

 is a general contraction of the vulva. In the more ad- 

 vanced stages the belly becomes more pendulous, the 

 udder develops, and a jerking movement of the foetus is 

 often noticed, especially after the mare has taken a 

 drink of cold water. If there is any special doubt in 

 regard to the pregnancy of the mare, and it becomes 

 necessary to ascertain whether she is pregnant or not, 



